ABA Journal

March 2019

"It seems unlikely that Brunetti conceived that he and his brand would one day be involved in a case on trademark law before the U.S. Supreme Court, but that is where he will be in April, in Iancu v. Brunetti. The justices will decide whether a provision of the federal Lanham Act that bars the registration of “immoral” or “scandalous” trademarks is facially invalid under the free speech clause of the First Amendment."

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/too-tasteless-to-trademark

ABA Journal News

March 22, 2019

Migrants often speak languages that are little known in the U.S. (except maybe in New York City): k-iche from Central America, urdu from Pakistan, Creole from Haiti. American immigration judges have a hard time finding enough interpreters to show up in courtrooms.

Now the Justice Department has ordered the judges to use more translators who work over the phone because of what the agency says are budget problems. But judges and lawyers say the quality of the telephone translations suffers and may be leading to unfair deportation trials.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/immigration-courts-getting-lost-in-translation

CEBBLOG

March 22, 2019

There are several factors considered in whether the meet-and-confer effort is in good faith, including (Obregon v Superior Court (1998) 67 CA4th 424, 431):

-Complexity of the case; History of the litigation;

-Nature of the interaction between counsel;

-Nature of the issues;

-Type and scope of discovery requested;and

-Prospects for success.

https://blog.ceb.com/2019/03/22/what-constitutes-a-good-faith-meet-and-confer-effort/#more-22788

Mt. Diablo Legal  Professionals Association Est. 1969  INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS APRIL 8, 2019, 5:30 p.m.

PLAN ON ATTENDING SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR NEW INCOMING OFFICERS  INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS Guests are Welcome! April 8, 20195:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Speaker:  Mary Lou Floyd, CCLS    Topic:   2019 Changes in Ethics Rules   Mary Lou Floyd, CCLS has been a paralegal for over 25 years, has a BA in Criminal Justice, and an MS in Psychology.  Mary Lou has been a member of LSI since 1988, when she joined Mt. Diablo LPA. As a member of Mt. Diablo LPA, she has been a past president, has held various board and chair positions, and is currently the Parliamentarian. Mary Lou has worked in many areas of the law, including family law, estate planning, litigation, trial support, bankruptcy, criminal, real estate, and business law.  Mary Lou currently works at Aharoni Business Law, based in Oakland. Mary Lou is the Client Services Director, paralegal, intake paralegal, and office manager. Mary Lou provides a wide range of support for clients, attorneys and other support staff.  Aharoni Business Law practices Business Law (picking and forming the right entity, making sure your contracts protect you); Employment Law (create up-to-date employment policies and procedures); Intellectual Property (trademark, copyright, trade secrets); employer-side employment disputes; and other business-related matters. Mary Lou is the first and primary contact at ABL and she ensures each and every client receives the assistance needed. Some other background information about Mary Lou is that she is fluent in Spanish including reading and writing Spanish, and she is a Notary Public.  She has had extensive experience in both the private sector and non-profit sector. Her responsibilities have been varied over the years from Intensive Treatment Foster Care Case Manager to foster family advocate to paralegal/office manager.  Mary Lou has the full support of her family, co-workers, and friends in all her endeavors with LSI, Mt. Diablo LPA, and in her career. Location:  Buttercup Grill & Bar660 Ygnacio Valley RoadWalnut Creek, CA 94596(925) 932-2763  Menu   New York Steak (Served with baked potato and fresh vegetables) Fresh Filet of Salmon(Served with rice and fresh vegetables.) Chicken Champagne (Chicken breast topped with mushrooms, garlic and champagne cream sauce. Served with rice and fresh vegetables.) Fettuccine Alfredo  (Pasta in rich cream sauce with fresh seasonal vegetables.)  (All entrees include bread/butter, Salad, soft drink, coffee or tea and dessert.)   Cost   $40 - Steak/Salmon($42 - Credit Card or PayPal) $33 - Chicken($35 - Credit Card or PayPal) $22 - Vegetarian($24 - Credit Card or PayPal)  (Price includes food, beverage, tax, tip, room rental fee, and MCLE/CCLS certificate.) RSVP to maria@mtdiablolpa.info  Mt. Diablo Legal Professionals Association, a local association of Legal Secretaries, Incorporated, an approved provider [Provider No. 1114], certifies that this activity has been approved for minimum continuing legal education credit by the State Bar of California in the amount of 1 hour, of which 1 hour will apply to ethics.  MCLE Credit: 1 hour / Ethics CCLS Credit: 1 hour / Ethics

Mt. Diablo Legal Professionals Assoc. P.O. Box 4253 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (925) 283-5226 (925) 284-7788

PAY BY CREDIT CARD, CASH OR CHECK -- AT THE DOOR. Or you can go to our website to pay by PayPal. www.mtdiablolpa.info

California Lawyers Association

March 28, 2019

On March 28, 2019, the Environmental Law Section of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) will present its third bi-annual Energy Conference in downtown Oakland. This year’s program will focus on California’s aggressive plans to de-carbonize its electricity sector, including a 60% renewable portfolio standard by 2030 and a carbon-free grid by 2045. This one-day conference will be preceded by an optional primer on California energy law for those new to the field, followed by the day’s main program on the landmark “100 Percent Clean Energy Act of 2018” (SB 100). SB 100 will be studied from the perspectives of those who helped write it, of those who must implement it, and stakeholders who must manage the various risks of transforming California’s electric grid.

https://calawyers.org/Sections/Environmental-Law/Education/2019-Energy-Law-Conference

California Courts Newsroom

March 19, 2019

(Photos and transcript) Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye says civil rights work remains unfinished; current challenges of income inequality, pretrial reform, and equal access require innovation and a human touch from a more representative judiciary.

https://youtu.be/Nf_8iijcwk0

https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/2019-state-of-the-judiciary-address

ABA Journal News

March 15, 2019

The ABA Business Law Section released a major report on digital assets and cryptocurrency regulation on Wednesday.

The 353-page document titled “Digital and Digitized Assets: Federal and State Jurisdictional Issues” provides definitions relevant to digital currency, domestic regulatory issues, and what international bodies and other countries are doing when confronted by the new technology.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/new-aba-report-surveys-cryptocurrency-regulations

California Courts Newsroom

March 15, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO—The Judicial Council at its March 15 business meeting approved recommendations for updated Language Access Plan guidelines for video remote interpreting (VRI) that include minimum technology guidelines to facilitate its use. The council also voted to establish a new VRI program for the judicial branch, which includes the development of master contracts with the two approved VRI vendors who took part in the pilot project to assist courts interested in using VRI.

https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/report-video-remote-interpreting-effective-for-court-users-with-limited-english-skills

Napa Valley Register

March 17, 2019

The Napa County Superior Court bench had a higher proportion of female judges than any other county in California at the end of last year, a new report shows.

This is a remarkable turnabout because for well over a century, every Napa County judge was male, statistics show.

https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-courts-have-more-female-judges-than-most-counties-state/article_3802625c-cae8-51d8-be69-31b60db8e179.html